NY doc not liable for patient who caught on fire

SYRACUSE, N.Y. (AP) – A jury has decided that a Syracuse doctor isn’t to blame for an operating-room mishap that caused a pregnant woman to catch fire during a cesarean section delivery.

Kira Reed suffered a 7-inch-long burn on her side two years ago when an alcohol-based antiseptic applied to her skin was accidentally ignited by a medical device. The fire was out quickly and her baby was fine, but she sued over the injury.

Reed reached an out-of-court settlement with the hospital, but The Post-Standard of Syracuse reports (http://bit.ly/RlXXmB) that a jury rejected a negligence claim this week against obstetrician Stephen Brown.

Brown’s lawyer says the jury’s decision was appropriate.

Surgical fires are rare, but do happen occasionally when hot devices touch disinfectant solutions before the alcohol has a chance to evaporate.